University Council

• After training as an industrial clerk, Guido Baranowski studied business administration and economics in Dortmund and Münster.
• In 1983, the business administration graduate began his professional career at the Dortmund Economic Development Agency, where he was responsible for the business management concept for the development of the "TechnologieZentrum" in the Technology and Innovation department.
• From 1985, as Chairman of the Management Board of TechnologieZentrumDortmund GmbH, he was involved in the development and expansion of the TechnologieZentrum and the Technology Park and contributed to its success story through his commitment.
• From 1990 to 2001, he was Chairman of the Federal Association of Technology Centers, is Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Martin Schmeißer Foundation, a member of the Board of BioIndustry e.V. and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund.

Guido Baranowski was a member of the first two University Councils of Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts from 2008 to 2018 and was elected Chairman of the 3rd University Council of Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts in April 2018.

• Heike Bähner studied mathematics up to her intermediate diploma at Clausthal University of Technology and then continued her studies at the University of Dortmund.
• After graduating in 1991 and starting her career at SIGNAL Versicherungen, she moved to Volkswohl Bund Versicherungen Dortmund in 1999.
• In the same year, she completed her training as an actuary (DAV).
• In 2004, the mathematician was granted power of attorney and appointed Head of Accounting and Controlling.
• In 2014, she was promoted to the Board of Management of Volkswohl Bund Lebensversicherung a. G. and was a member of the Board of Management of all the Group's insurance companies until her retirement.
• From 2017 to 2022, Heike Bähner was Chairwoman of the Board of the Fördergesellschaft der Fachhochschule Dortmund.

She has been a member of the University Council of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts since April 2018.

• Heike Bettermann has been Chairwoman of the Management Board of the Dortmund Employment Agency since 2019.
• She studied at the Mannheim University of Applied Sciences and holds a degree in public administration.
• Heike Bettermann began her professional career in 1983 as a clerk at the Dortmund employment office. She later worked there as a training mediator and careers advisor. She became a team leader, took on a divisional management role in 2009 and in 2012 became the "Market and Integration" manager at the Dortmund job center.
• Heike Bettermann holds numerous voluntary positions in Dortmund. Among other things, she is a member of the boards of trustees of the Auslandsgesellschaft, the "Stiftung Soziale Stadt" and the "nordwärts" project. She is also involved in the "Dortmund Round Table against Right-Wing Extremism". In addition, she advises Dortmund's local politicians on several committees and is an honorary judge at Dortmund Labor Court.

Heike Bettermann has been a member of the Fachhochschule Dortmund's University Council since September 2025.

• Prof. Dr. med. vet. Jan Ehlers holds the Chair of Didactics and Educational Research in Healthcare at Witten/Herdecke University and is Vice President for Learning and Teaching at the university.
• He previously headed the Competence Center for E-Learning, Didactics and Educational Research in Veterinary Medicine at the TiHo Hannover.
• Prof. Ehlers is a member of the editorial board of the Journal for Medical Education, the examination board of the Lower Saxony Veterinary Association, the Scientific Advisory Board of FOM University Essen and other committees and institutions.

He has been a member of the Fachhochschule Dortmund University Council since 2023.

• Dr. Thomas Graefenstein studied mechanical engineering at the University of Dortmund.
• After graduating, he worked for the metalworking company Robert Röntgen GmbH & Co. KG in Remscheid from 1983 to 1986, where he later took over as plant manager.
• In 1986, he moved to the research and development company VDZ GmbH, where he headed the "Automation Packaging Technology" division.
• In 1990, Thomas Grafenstein completed his doctorate in robotics at the University of Dortmund.
• Since 1993, Dr. Graefenstein has been Managing Director of the company roTeg mbH, which develops special machines and industrial robot systems in Dortmund. Since the founding of roTeg Aktiengesellschaft in 2006, he has held the position of CEO.

Dr. Graefenstein has been a member of the Fachhochschule Dortmund University Council since April 2018.

• After studying economics at the Universities of Bochum and Frankfurt, Dr. Horst Günther moved to the University of Essen, where he obtained his doctorate in 1979.
• During his professional career, the economist held various positions at VEW AG from 1979 to 1993 - most recently as Head of the Waste Management Department and, from 1991, as Managing Director of VEW Reststoffverwertungsgesellschaft mbH.
• At Harpen AG, he was responsible for the Harpen Municipal and Environmental division from 1993 and also took over the management of VEW Umwelt GmbH.
• In 1996, he became a member of the Executive Board of Elektromark AG Hagen and of RWE Systems AG from 2000 to 2008.
• Horst Günther has been an independent business consultant since 2008.

He has been a member of the Fachhochschule Dortmund University Council since 2008.

• Evi Carola Hoch has been a member of the Executive Board of the Wilo-Foundation based in Dortmund since 2012 and is responsible in particular for the family foundation's global social commitment. Science and research as well as education and social issues are among the foundation's areas of support alongside culture and sport.
• Environmental and climate protection as well as topics relating to water as a resource, technology and digitality as well as (social) entrepreneurship are important focal points of its commitment. In line with the motto "empowering young people", this primarily benefits young people.
• Evi Carola Hoch completed the Magister Artium (M.A.), the Polonicum (University of Mainz) and the Executive Master of Business Administration in International Business (ENPC, Paris).
• She is a member of the University Council of Hof University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the Board of Trustees of Masterplan Wissenschaft Dortmund and other associations and committees.

She has been a member of the Fachhochschule Dortmund University Council since 2023.

• Sabine Keggenhoff is an architect and interior designer as well as a professor at the Peter Behrens School of Arts (PBSA) in Düsseldorf.
• She is managing partner of KEGGENHOFF I PARTNER, where she is primarily responsible for "analysis, conception, design" in projects.
• After studying at the "Detmolder Schule" and the University of New South Wales, Sydney, she became a member of the BDIA and the AKNW in 1999.
• She initially worked in Amsterdam before founding her own office with Dipl.-Ing. Michael Than in 2001.
• In 2015, she took over the professorship "Interior Design" and "Material in Space" in the Faculty of Architecture and Design at PBSA.
• In addition to her professional practice, she accompanies architectural competitions as a judge, actively supports the promotion of young talent in the interior design profession, committee work in AKNW and BDIA and has been involved in the (supra-)regional building culture dialog since 2012.

She has been a member of the Fachhochschule Dortmund University Council since April 2018.

• Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Achim Schmidtmann is Professor of Information Systems, in particular Business Information Systems and ERP Systems, at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and is a member of the electoral board there.
• From 2006 to 2017, he researched and taught at the Faculty of Computer Science at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts and was head of the Master's degree program in Information Systems, a member of the faculty council, alumni representative, initiator and co-editor of the faculty publication series.

He has been a member of the Fachhochschule Dortmund University Council since 2023.

• Dr. Kurt Sohm studied education and a self-chosen combination of subjects (philosophy, philosophy of science, history) at the University of Vienna from 1986 to 1993.
• After graduating, he took up doctoral studies in education and received his doctorate in Vienna in 1997.
• From 1997 to 2012, he worked in the office of the Austrian Council of Universities of Applied Sciences as deputy managing director and, from 2005, as managing director.
• He was a member of national and international committees and organizations, such as the national Bologna Follow-up Group and the Socrates/Erasmus Advisory Board.
• From 2005 to 2010, he was a member of the board of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA).
• From 2012 to 2025, Dr. Kurt Sohm was Head of the Unit for Quality and Programme Development at UAS Technikum Wien.
• Since October 2025, Dr. Kurt Sohm has been employed as Staff Unit Higher Education Development in the Rectorate of the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences.

He has been a member of the University Council of Fachhochschule Dortmund since 2008.